Born Sinner by J Cole (Review)
[Originally Published on April 22, 2020]
As he established a legendary legacy over the last decade, J Cole’s greatest asset has been his relatability. The North Carolina emcee has built a loyal following based on the intimate connection he has forged with his fans, who see parts of themselves in him. He doesn’t claim to be the most cold-hearted, the biggest baller, or any more enlightened than the people he encounters walking down Forest Hills Drive. Cole is the everyday man, but just happens to be an elite wordsmith. Temptation is a potentially deadly vice that knocks on each of our doors every so often. We are human. As he begs “give me my soul” on the intro, Jermaine invites us into his internal struggle not to turn the knob.
The rambunctious “Villuminati” is painted with strokes of profundity that prove Cole wise beyond his years, and brushes of profanity that he probably wishes he could take back. He is far from polished on this tape, but is refreshingly self-aware (“Beyonce told me that she went and copped a new Bugatti/ That shit cost more than what I’m worth/ I think she knew it probably”). But Cole doesn’t mind getting sonned by legends. Off rip, Cole pays homage to his influences through bars (“Sometimes I brag like Hov, sometimes I’m real like Pac”) and through the Biggie sample from “Juicy” that he derived the song’s hook and the album’s title from. This trend continues on the apology letter “Let Nas Down” and the Outkast-sampled “LAnd of the Snakes.”
Cole’s tribe of superfans often regurgitate that he has gone “platinum with no features” like it’s their name during class attendance. But Born Sinner’s features are well placed and add to its versatility. The seductive, R&B-infused “Power Trip” just might be the album’s strongest track—the pinnacle of careful songwriting and natural chemistry. As proven previously on Miguel’s “All I Want is You” and afterwards on “Come Thru and Chill”, this duo cannot miss. On the eye-catching “Forbidden Fruit”, Cole wades through a lustful garden as Kendrick provides an effective hook. Jermaine dubs himself a “Southern nigga with a New York mind” on the flute-infused “New York Times”—shopping for a fresh pair of Timbs with 50 Cent.
TLC and Jhene Aiko provide welcomed changes of pace on the inspiring “Crooked Smile” and the euphoric “Sparks Will Fly” respectively. “Crooked Smile” encourages self-love and Cole delivers one of his defining bars: “I keep the twisted grill just to show the kids it’s real/ We ain’t picture perfect, but we worth the picture still.” Though these features enhance the album’s sound, Cole remains the star. He thanks God for his growth and flaws on the title track, laments feeling unworthy and cheating on “Runaway” and inserts hilarious skits that add extra shading.
On “Villuminati”, Cole reveals that he was Team West in the infamous coastal beef. JAY-Z’s initial refusal to listen to his mixtape only added fuel to the fire. “Little did I know a year a later he’d be f*cking paying me,” he recalls. Though he garnered widespread attention with his debut “Cole World: A Sideline Story”, J Cole struggled to find his sound. Under label pressure for radio singles, he was faced with the temptation go pop. Would Cole dominate with album sales or stay true to himself? The dynamic Born Sinner was the first indication that he could do both.
